Love Who You Love
by Gaelcelt
Summary: Frobisher/Sixsmith. Songfic. Robert Frobisher and Rufus Sixsmith are reincarnated in the modern world and become reacquainted with each other. Inspired by singer/songwriter Christian Andreason's song "Love Who You Love".


I own nothing, not the characters, the song, or _Cloud Atlas_.

Robert Frobisher and Rufus Sixsmith are reincarnated in the modern world and become reacquainted with each other. While Rufus is somewhat hesitant at first, as he senses what unfolded in their previous lives, he soon recognizes just how deep that their feelings are for each other.

Christian Andreason's songs and his beautiful voice, especially in "Love Who You Love", just strikes me as so perfect for this couple.

Love Who You Love

"I'm Robert Frobisher," the youthful man with thick, sable curls introduced himself.

"Rufus Sixsmith," Sixsmith extended his hand, taken by the beauty of this man before him. Frobisher, rather than shake hands, took Sixsmith's hand and kissed it. "Enchanté, Monsieur," Frobisher's gesture made Sixsmith blush and he went weak in the knees.

"A bit bashful, aren't you Sixsmith?" Frobisher remarked with a wry smile.

Sixsmith returned the smile, speechless. He couldn't help himself, but he sensed that he'd somehow experienced this before with the same kind of person, even if nothing in his memory registered.

"Guilty," Sixsmith shrugged coyly, "I also can't help but sense that we've met before."

"D'you suppose?"

"I don't know, but there's something about you that seems so familiar… like we knew each other in a past life, if that makes any sense."

Frobisher cocked an eyebrow and watched the handsome blond before him with some amusement, "It does."

Sixsmith blushed, "I hope that I haven't made you uncomfortable!"

The lanky brunet smiled reassuringly, "You haven't at all. I've actually thought the same thing: like this has not been the first time that we've met…"

The two men spent the rest of the evening in the club dancing and chatting like old friends, hardly believing that they had only met that evening.

"This evening has been amazing, Robert…! I'm actually at a loss for words…!"

Robert smiled, "The evening doesn't begin to compare to you, Rufus. I don't know why I find you so incredibly adorable, but I do."

Rufus blushed even more intensely and he shivered, smiling like he'd found a part of him that was missing. But he couldn't help thinking that something was amiss. Like something in a previous life had gone horribly wrong, and he wondered if this newfound friendship was becoming a romance faster than it should.

"Rufus?" Robert's fond expression became quizzical as he noticed that the other man had become withdrawn, almost afraid.  
"I'm sorry, Robert," Rufus blurted, "I'm just a bit anxious about this… I don't know why, but I am."  
Robert's cocky, self-assured countenance faltered slightly, "Is it something that I've said?"

"No, you haven't done anything at all," Rufus gazed at him apologetically, "I like you… I really like you a lot… I just…!"

"You just what, Rufus?" Robert's jade eyes stared into Rufus' cornflower eyes, like he was searching for an answer.

"I know that all of this business about past lives seems silly, but I can't help thinking that in a previous life that something terrible happened to us…!"

Robert was silent for a moment, thoughtful, "It's not silly. If you have a legitmate concern then it's not silly. Do you have any idea of what this terrible incident could have been?"

"I don't know…" Rufus was thoughtful, "It's so strange that I have this undefined fear that I can't articulate… especially since I find myself irresitiably attracted to you, Robert."

A gentle smile crossed Robert's luscious lips, "And I find myself irresistibly attracted to you, Rufus." His flirtacious tone was somehow comforting at the same time and Rufus' heart jumped as Robert took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"I find myself falling hopelessly in love with you, Rufus Sixsmith. I feel like I've always known you… if you want to take this slowly, then I don't want to push you into something that you don't want."

Rufus was as red as a rose in the summer, overcome with emotion. Robert Frobisher, a handsome music teacher and aspiring composer, was declaring that he was enamoured of him.

Rufus knew that this budding romance was growing faster than he expected and that he should exercise caution. On top of that understandable anxiety was this odd sense of foreboding, this sense that they had known each other in a previous life and that something very bad had happened to one or even both of them.

Rufus could not be sure, but he sensed that a suicide had parted them long ago. All that he knew was that he inexplicably felt deeply for the survivors of suicide was passionately dedicated to suicide prevention. He had volunteered on a suicide prevention helpline for several years and, even though he didn't know most of the callers personally, he felt as though he had lost somebody dear to him.

Rufus didn't know what he should think, and he thought that he was being quite rash in falling for somebody so quickly.  
But somehow, for some reason he could not explain, he felt unbreakable ties to Robert Frobisher, a man who he had just met this past evening and yet whom he found irrestistably handsome, charming, and deeply resonant in his soul.

A tear streaked Rufus' face, a sight that startled Robert. "Rufus? What's wrong, love?" The words that left his tongue startled him just as much as the sight of this beautiful man crying silently before him, but he found that he truly felt the sentiment.

Rufus realized what had happened and hastily swiped at his cheek, "Oh- it, it's nothing~! I'm sorry, Robert, I don't know what came over me-!"

To the blond's surprise and immense relief, Robert squeezed his hand and caressed his cheek, "You have nothing to apologize for."  
From somewhere deep in his soul, Robert sensed that he had ended one of his previous lives by his own hand. He shivered as it occurred to him that Rufus might have been the one who found his body.

"Don't cry, Darling," Robert soothed, "Whatever happened in the past, whoever we might have been, I don't want to see you so sad. I know that it's too soon to say that I love you, but I do…! I feel like I've always known you, like I've found a missing part of myself and I don't want to lose you again."

Rufus' eyes spilled over his cheeks, "I- I don't know what to say, Robert…! I feel like I've found a missing part of myself too, that I lost you before and I'm afraid that it will happen again."

Robert smiled as he took Rufus' face into his hands, thumbs swiping the tears away, "You don't have to worry about that, Darling. I'm not going anywhere and I don't intend to now that I've found you."

"'Darling'… I don't know what to say, Robert…!" Rufus squeaked, "I know that we've only met each other just this evening, but I can't imagine living out my life without you."

Surprising himself, Robert pulled Rufus into a hug. Both of them were surprised, but they didn't want it to stop.  
Although they were both aware of how aroused that they were, both men also felt the urge to protect each other and support each other through any trials.

Their lips met in a gentle kiss that quickly ignited into one of great passion. Breaking the kiss, both men giggled, giddy from what was happening that evening.

"I want to introduce you to my family," Rufus murmured, "I want them to know about us…!"  
Robert smiled with a hint of ruefulness, "I want to meet them, too. I think that we'll have better luck with your family than with mine; they've barely even spoken to me since I came out to them."

Rufus instinctively pulled Robert back into an embrace, his heart pained at the thought that Robert's family would turn him away. "How could they do that to you?" his choked whisper trembled.  
"It's ancient history, Rufus. It's all right," Robert reassured his new lover, "I'm just glad that I have supportive friends who have become my family."

Rufus smiled despite his watering eyes, fluffing Robert's shock of unruly obsidian curls and stroking his back. "And I want to be among that family, my love…!"


End file.
